On the night before the first day of school, you are likely to feel confused, enthusiastic, and nervous at the same time, and it may cross your mind that it is impossible to sleep. However, if you prepare ahead of time and make sure to have a relaxing night, you'll be able to fall asleep easily and wake up the next day feeling refreshed and ready for the big day that awaits you.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Get ready
Step 1. Get in the habit of getting your body ready for bed early at least a week before the D day
If you're like most kids your age, you're probably used to going to bed much later-and getting up much later-during long vacations. This could be one of the reasons why you find it difficult to sleep, especially the night before the first day of school. To make sure your body is ready for bed, you should make a plan to go to bed much earlier at least a week before the first day of school, so that when it comes time to sleep your body will feel really tired.
- Start by going to bed half an hour earlier than your usual bedtime schedule and waking up half an hour earlier than usual. Continue this effort until the time when you actually have to go to bed and wake up the next day to go to school.
- If you get used to a routine of going to bed and getting up at a certain time at least a few days before the first day of school, you can fall asleep more easily at the appointed time.
Step 2. Get all your clothes and books ready so you don't have to worry about them
On the day before school, you have to make sure all school supplies are ready and packed. Imagine if you had to frantically buy a book an hour before bedtime, it would definitely make you angry. You also have to prepare school clothes ahead of time so you don't have to worry about finding the size not right or needing to be reduced, or buttons coming off and so on in the morning.
- If you feel like everything is in order before your big day, you'll be able to sleep better.
- Make sure you check out the weather forecast for tomorrow too. You don't want to have planned the perfect school outfit and wake up only to find that it was a very cold day or it was raining heavily.
Step 3. Make a plan for how you will go to school
Another thing you should think about before nightfall is how you will get to school. Whether by taking the bus, riding with a friend or your mother, asking your brother to take you, or walking. You should solve this problem the day before so you won't have trouble sleeping thinking about it. Don't tell yourself that you'll take care of it in the morning or that you'll lose precious sleep because of it.
In the morning, the hardest thing for you to decide is how much milk to pour into your cereal bowl. If you have to deal with a lot of things in the morning, you may not be able to sleep well
Step 4. Avoid caffeine or sugary foods that day
Caffeine or sugary foods can make you very energetic and can make you restless, making it harder for you to sleep. If you drink soda or other processed caffeine, try not to drink it after noon, so your body has time to adjust. As much as possible, avoid energy drinks that contain a lot of sugar; this kind of drink will give you a quick burst of energy but will make you restless and may even give you a slight headache.
If you feel you have excess energy in welcoming your big day, channel that energy by exercising. This can make you feel healthier, happier, and more relaxed
Step 5. Don't put off doing anything until the last minute
In general, you should take care of everything before you get ready to go to bed on the last day before school. This might mean figuring out where you'll be meeting your best friend, finding out where the homeroom meeting room is, or finding some new shoes you'd like to wear on your big day. If you procrastinate, you can end up having a hard time falling asleep, so make sure you take care of everything before you go to bed.
Even a procrastinator at procrastination has to get as many things done as possible. You don't want to be late on the first day of school or feel tired because you can't find your glasses
Step 6. If you can't find what you need, try to relax and ask your parents to help you find it
If you can't find it after a while, just go and borrow it from someone to save time because you'll be making new friends. Hope you learned something!
Part 2 of 3: Having a Relaxing Night
Step 1. Take a shower to relax
A warm bath can help you relax and can calm your mind and give you time to think. You're probably too busy talking to all your friends, texting people, and memorizing your schedule to really cut back on activities, and spending time in the tub will keep you from doing too many things at once. Put your cell phone somewhere, pour some bubble bath in the tub, and spend a few moments with your eyes closed as if you don't have the slightest problem.
- Scented bubble bath or bath bombs can really help you feel refreshed and relaxed.
- Try humming your favorite song while your body is covered in foam. It can also help you reduce tension!
Step 2. Try not to think about the first day of school after a certain time
Even though it sounds nearly impossible, tell yourself that you won't think about the first day of school after a certain time. For example, after 8 PM or so, you won't talk about it with your friends, you won't talk about it with your family members, and you won't use the internet and talk about it. That way you won't be obsessed with it and can divert your mind to other things.
Of course, stopping thinking about something right then and there isn't as easy as it sounds, but if you're determined and even say it to someone else or write it down, chances are you can do it
Step 3. Meditate
Meditation can also calm your mind and make you feel more at peace and less excited. Just find a quiet room, sit comfortably, and focus on relaxing your body one part at a time. Concentrate on your breath in and out of your body and try not to think about anything other than calming yourself down. Simply doing it for 10 minutes per day can help you feel more relaxed and can help you fall asleep more easily.
You can even practice focusing on your breath going in and out of your body after you lie in bed. Counting breaths can be more effective than counting sheep
Step 4. Play a relaxing game
Another way to calm yourself before bed is to play a simple, non-electronic game that can relax your mind. This game you have to play alone so that it can take your mind off school which will start tomorrow. Here are some games you can try:
- Crossword puzzle
- Sudoku
- Solitaire
Step 5. Eat a healthy meal a few hours before bed
On the night before the first day of school, you need to eat healthy and nutritious enough food so that you won't have trouble sleeping due to hunger disturbances and don't make you feel full and uncomfortable making it difficult to rest. Eat healthy vegetables, lean protein, and pasta, rice, or other simple dishes, while avoiding foods high in fat, such as french fries or dishes with thick gravy.
Allow time for food to digest at least 2-3 hours before going to bed
Step 6. Read on
Reading can help you feel more relaxed and take your mind off the fact that you will start the new school year tomorrow. Choose a book that isn't too difficult to understand, but is really fun, so something else catches your eye in the hours before your bedtime. Read a few chapters in soft light and don't be distracted by the phone or other people talking to you. In its own way, reading can be considered another form of meditation, and if you really follow the rhythm of the story, you will feel relaxed.
Don't choose books with topics that are too distracting or serious, or can keep you up late. Of course, if murder mysteries always put you to sleep, feel free to read the book
Part 3 of 3: Getting Ready for Sleep
Step 1. Get used to a routine that gradually calms you down
You have to find a routine that relaxes you and has proven to work for you before the first day of school. Everyone has a different routine and you can try several things, including listening to soft music, drinking chamomile or peppermint tea, reading a novel, or writing a journal. You can even try doing these routines in the same order, so your mind and body know when you're ready to sleep.
- You may find it difficult to stop a fun phone chat with a friend, complete a vacation assignment, or stop playing your favorite video game and then go straight to bed. If you do it without some sort of transition to bedtime, your mind is still in a very active state.
- Set aside at least an hour to indulge in a bedtime routine.
Step 2. Turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before going to bed
Even if you are addicted to electronic devices, you need to get rid of them if you want to sleep more easily. Turn off the television, computer, and cell phone at least an hour before bedtime so you are not overstimulated. That way, your mind can relax and not work actively so that it can help you focus on preparing for bed.
You should get used to this routine every night, not just the night before the first day of school. That way, you'll have a happier and healthier sleep schedule
Step 3. Don't sleep with your cell phone
Recent research shows that at least one in ten teens receive and send messages in the middle of the night, after they wake up. Turn off your phone, or put it in a different room, if you want a better night's sleep. If you put your phone next to your pillow, you're less likely to sleep because you'll be waiting for a message from one of your friends. Also, you may find it harder to wake up if you end up falling asleep.
Think about it: what would your best friend say at 2:00 a.m. who can't wait until morning? Almost no
Step 4. Don't have intense conversations before bedtime
Another way to make sure you go to bed the night before the first day of school is to avoid intense or stressful conversations before bedtime. Don't choose tonight to tell your best friend why you're mad at him; do that another time. If your older sister wants to have a "serious conversation," ask her if it's possible to postpone it until tomorrow. You've had enough worrying yourself, and you don't want to stay awake replaying your conversation or argument.
- If you and your friends are chatting about what your first day of school will be like, don't let the conversation drag on. You don't want to get too excited guessing all the things you don't know.
- Look for topics of conversation that are light and simple and won't stress you out. You can even try to spend more time alone as you approach bedtime, so you don't have to worry about other people at all.
Step 5. Dim the lights
Your brain uses light cues to help set its internal "body clock," so the sooner you dim the lights, the sooner your brain will accept the idea that it's time for bed. After dinner, try not to spend too much time in bright light, and use a soft light or even candlelight to read, so you'll start to feel like it's time for bed. This can make a big difference and can help you fall asleep a lot easier.
When you wake up in the morning, let the light flood your bedroom. It's a way of telling your body that it's time to wake up
Step 6. Think of boring things
When lying in bed, try to think of the most boring thing to help you fall asleep easily. As long as you don't think about something too complicated, like chemical equations, you can choose any topic that doesn't excite you too much. You can force yourself to sleep by dwelling on topics that are completely uninteresting so that you feel better sleeping than wasting your energy. Here are some topics you might consider:
- All multiplication 2
- Countries and capitals
- Everyone you've ever met named "Dewi" or "Andi"
- The entire plot of the last book you read or the movie you watched
- Pop song lyrics you don't like the most
- Names of farm animals, vegetables, or flowers that you can think of
- Subjects you dislike the most
Tips
- Try cuddling a special “bedmate” (teddy bear or something else), if that helps you.
- Have fun in the last few days, it will make you relax and chill with friends and family.
- Don't go to bed too early or too late.
- You should go to bed at the same time for several days before school.
- Try to listen to relaxing music
